VAWA is it working?

Summary

Thirteen years after its passage in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has been found to be ineffective in curbing domestic violence, disrespectful of fundamental civil liberties, and harmful to the institution of the family: A recent review of V.A.W.A.-sponsored treatment programs and law enforcement strategies found that most programs were ineffective in curbing abuse, and some of them are actually harmful. For example, a recent Harvard University study of mandatory arrest policies concluded, ―intimate partner homicides increased by about 60% in states with mandatory arrest laws. So it is no surprise that V.A.W.A. has had no discernible effect on intimate partner homicides over the last two decades. V.A.W.A.-funded programs have brought about widespread civil rights violations, including problems with sex discrimination, denial of due process, and disregard of the presumption of innocence. V.A.W.A. programs are weakening the traditional family. Loose definitions of domestic violence allow for state intervention into even a heated argument or minor couple conflict. That intervention typically forces the partners to separate, escalates the conflict, and discourages reconciliation. In the end, children often end up in a single parent household, placing them at far greater risk of child abuse and other social pathologies. In sum, University of Pennsylvania researcher Richard Gelles has concluded that domestic violence programs may ―actually be harmful to women, men, children, and the institution of the family. Several women‘s groups have criticized the law: Ms. Foundation for Women: ―Unfortunately, when state power has been invited into, or forced into, the lives of individuals, it often takes over. True Equality Network: ―V.A.W.A. has spawned an abuse industry that continually expands the definition of domestic violence and condones the filing of false allegations, while ignoring the needs of true victims. Independent Women‘s Forum: ―Men may become alienated from and hostile toward the system in the conviction that it is stacked against them and unjustly favors women. Find out more in this report on V.A.W.A. Compiled By: John Hayes A true survivor of domestic violence which is trying to make a difference.